Windows 3.1 Thinks All Programs Are Dos?

I recently bought a IBM thinkpad p/75 755cx from ebay for the purpose of running some older programs. In any case it had dos 6.22 on it and I installed a brand new copy of windows 3.1. Now when I try to run any windows program windows 3.1 thinks it is a dos application and launches it in dos mode which gives me the error "This program must be run under windows". How do I get windows 3.1 to regonized that a program is a windows program? I had the same problem when I tried to run Aol 2.0 from this site off a floopy disk. Any ideas?

[locustfurnace]

make sure it is not a win32 application.
I can not rem exactly how to change that settings. but it is most likley under the control panel.
I'll have to look at a win3.11 WFW box i have

[Maccabeus]

win 3.1 is only an extention of DOS even up till DOS 6.2 and win95 which was also DOS based but but also had the first 32 bit capability.

[The Dude]

I have read that Win3.1 can get online,is this true??

Welcome to the site!

[Pete]

Originally Posted by The Dude

I have read that Win3.1 can get online,is this true??............

Yes, but dialup networking, IE and OE aren't bundled with the OS. You'll have to download and install 16 bit versions.

I see that Oldversion has a few of the older versions of IE available.... Tucows is another source, (I once found a 16 bit version of IE 5 there).

BTW: If you're used to Win95 or newer, you'll be disappointed with the color quality of websites viewed with a 16 bit browser.